Dental Veneers

Dental Veneers

Dental Veneer

Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials created to cover the front surface of teeth to enhance your appearance. These shells are fastened to the front of the teeth to change their color, size shape, or length.

Dental veneers can be designed from porcelain or resin composite materials. Porcelain veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth better.

Dental Veneer Procedure

Getting a dental veneer normally requires at least three visits to the dentist. The first, a consultation, while the second and third is to make and apply the veneers. The procedures are as follows:

Diagnosis and treatment scheduling: this step requires active participation from the patient. An accurate explanation of what expectations is beneficial. During this appointment, a tooth examination, x-rays and some impressions are completed to ensure that dental veneers are an appropriate solution for desired results.

Preparation: To prepare a tooth for a veneer, a taper is made about 1/2 millimeter of enamel from the tooth surface, which is an amount equal to the thickness of the veneer to be added to the tooth surface. Before reducing the enamel, local anesthetic is used to numb the area. A model or impression of the tooth is then taken and the model is sent out to a milling laboratory that constructs the veneer.

Bonding: Before the dental veneer is permanently fixed to your tooth, a temporarily will be placed on your tooth to determine its fit and color. They will repeatedly remove and taper the veneer as needed to achieve the proper fit; the veneer color can be adjusted with the shade of cement to be used. Next, to prepare your tooth to receive the veneer, your tooth will be cleaned, and polished, and carved; to roughen the tooth to allow for a strong bonding process. Cement is applied to the veneer and the veneer is then placed onto your tooth. Once well-positioned on the tooth, the dentist will focus a beam of light to the dental veneer, which activates certain chemicals in the cement, causing it to harden rapidly. The final stages involve removing excess cement, assessing your bite and making any final adjustments in the veneer as necessary.